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The Seattle Sounders took advantage of the shorthanded Columbus Crew in their weekend showdown to come up with a promising 4-0 win. Albert Rusnak took charge of their massive run with a hat-trick to pull off a much-needed win for the club as they inch closer to the top four in the league standings of the Western Conference.

Rusnak scored three goals, Jordan Morris pitched in an assist and a goal of his own, and the shining defense of the Seattle Sounders proved to be crucial in fending off a shorthanded Columbus Crew after they pulled a clean sheet on the Leagues Cup champions and defending MLS Cup winners at 4-0.

The match was originally set to be played on June 1st but was moved later on after Columbus secured the final in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The Crew missed a few of its key players, such as Cucho Hernández, Mohamed Farsi, Steven Moreira, and Nicholas Hagen due to international duties. Columbus would have clinched a playoff spot had they managed to win against the Sounders.

A Career Night for Rusnak

Rusnak was a shining platter for the Sounders in the game. Neither team actually had a great start in the first five minutes, before the Seattle star went on to net a free kick from outside the box in the sixth minute of stoppage time, giving the Sounders a 1-0 lead at halftime while Crew keeper Abraham Romero was shipped off with a red card in his league debut.

Morris would go on to add a goal of his own in the 60th minute to push the Sounders to a 2-0 lead on the assist of Paul Rothrock – making his the second of his campaign. Rusnak would then continue his barrage in the 67th minute with his second goal and later scored his third and final goal of the day on the assist from Morris as he put the game to bed early. That wrapped up a massive career night for Rusnak, who has been deadly efficient on the scoring end for the Sounders so far.

The game is a legacy night for Rusnak, who is expected to be out of contract come winter. He is expected to be offered a new contract by the Sounders in the offseason, but they will have to build around him if they plan to stay on the winning track at this point in time.

By the Numbers

The Sounders dominated the game right from the start and clearly had full control. They had 16 shots attempted while also going for seven shots on target. They completed a total of 519 passes on 88% accuracy. The team also capitalized on offsides and corners to come up with an impressive scoring possession, which allowed them to pull off the massive win.

Critics have already pointed out in the past few months and weeks that the Sounders aren’t really much of a team with a playoff finesse, but it does seem that beating the defending champions without their full might can’t really be a good sample size as well. However, it is worth noting that whatever they’re doing right now, it is definitely working towards their case.

The Sounders now improve to a 12-9-7 record while tallying 43 points, just a few wins behind the Colorado Rapids, and a few points from joining the race the to the top spot in the Western Conference.

Many people expected to see Marco Reus make his debut in late September as issues spiraled as to how the former Bundesliga star did not have a work permit in the United States. However, the ex-Borrusia Dortmund star shocked spectators as he drilled a winning goal to help LA Galaxy win big in its weekend showdown against Atlanta United, 2-0 to begin their second-half campaign this season.

From scoring goals, impacting defensive plays, and coming up with impressive plays, it does seem that Marco Reus does not fall far from what was advertised of him – a swashbuckling scorer who can also create plays at will when his team needs it. Now with a reinvigorated squad, it does seem that LA Galaxy can make a deep push count, especially in the closing games of the campaign.

Reus comes off as a massive addition heading into that stretch, and one can say that his impact is definitely invaluable at this point, and one can even say that the German star is transitioning well with the team, showing how easy it is for a veteran player like him to immerse in the atmosphere and playing level in the MLS.

Making it Look Easy

Reus received a lot of praise in his debut with LA Galaxy. Head coach Greg Vanney said that the star brought class, composure, intelligence, and quality on the pitch. It cannot be denied that Reus was a massive game-changer in the win, and he made it look so easy as if he was just in practice with a lot of promising plays in just a short span of time.

In just 14 minutes of action, Reus already dished an assist to Riqui Puig. He dribbled across the front of the goal to wait for his teammates to come, spotting an attacking Puig, who buried the pass into a right-foot goal from 18 yards. Just nine minutes after that, Reus drilled his own goal to double the lead, which effectively sealed the deal in the game to cap off a promising start to the second half of the season for LA Galaxy.

Reus has not played a game since Dortmund’s loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League Final, where he logged just 19 minutes. He wasn’t even slated to play more than 30 minutes in his MLS debut, but the scoreless game lagged well and forced LA Galaxy to bring in their new weapon, and it turned out to be the best move they made.

Bringing in Reus

While his on-pitch efforts were definitely a delight, it is worth noting that bringing in the German star came at a huge cost for the team. It took the efforts of many people from the team’s lawyers, front-office employees, and even a congressman just to get Reus a visa right on time for the second half of the season.

Reus came in just in time to help them bring their 400th win in team history, and he did so in front of a sell-out crowd of 25,174. At the age of 35, Reus is off to the races in the season, and it does seem that the star is expected to make a bigger impact heading into the rest of their games. With LA Galaxy locked in a tight battle in the West, it does seem that adding Reus will give them a bigger hope of winning it all now more than ever.

In a promising rematch of the MLS Cup 2023, the Leagues Cup Final was filled with a lot of roaring fans as the game evolved into one of the most intense battles. Fans have seen this scene before and they have seen it again, and the Columbus Crew emerge victorious at 3-1, beating LAFC in a crucial final showdown to clinch the Leagues Cup 2024.

A game that has been decided in the final moments, the Leagues Cup Final has been quite a story to look out for, and it cannot be denied that many fans were left celebrating in the end as Columbus took over in added time to seal the deal, bringing their best plays when it mattered most, which has definitely proved to be the story of the game.

Wilfried Nancy’s Crew is now roaring out loud in the league with a lot of impressive strides, and this victory in the Leagues Cup is definitely another expansion in their trophy case after winning the MLS Cup 2023 – roughly just nine months earlier, and it even came less than three months after the team managed to reach the Concacaf Champions Cup Final. This is definitely a strong case for one of the MLS club contenders at this point in time.

Heroics from Cucho

The game took a long time before it actually had goals in the mix. A side lob from Mohamed Farsi allowed a cutting Cucho Hernandez to pull off a massive header in the 45th minute to give Crew a 1-0 lead in the final. The best number 9 in the MLS showed off that he has what it takes to outpace the defenders of the LAFC, and he did well to pull off heroic finishes in this game.

Mateusz Bogusz nearly had a goal in the 53rd minute, only to be called an offside. Latest signing Olivier Giroud would later on drill a header for himself in the 56th minute on the back post to tie the game. This drought would go on for some time, as Hugo Lloris’ defense for LAFC proved to be a pivotal factor, but the Crew answered well on the defensive end to prevent their opponents from scoring – leading to added time.

Cucho would later float it for a cutting Jacen Russell-Rowe, making it appear like a pass, only to fake it as the ball caught Lloris flat-footed, leaving a wide-open goal scored by the Crew to retake the lead. The crowd celebrated in that goal as the Crew fans knew that they are just a few moments away from clinching the Leagues Cup title.

The Dagger Shot

Cucho has been the story of the game, and with LAFC clearly getting desperate to score a goal of their own, chaos definitely ensued. LAFC’s attackers were on the front trying desperately to score a goal in the 92nd minute. However, tight defense by Crew and overwhelming defensive lines hampered the play that was initially drawn up by LAFC, leading to a loss in possession by the team.

This opened up a breakaway possession for Columbus in the closing moments of the game. Cucho earned possession as he drove the ball and later passed it up to Russell-Rowe just before he reached the box. The latter would go on to drill the clinching goal in the 93rd minute to seal the championship, closing the game at 3-1 to add the Leagues Cup Championship to their trophy case.

The Houston Dynamo has been making some impressive strides in the season break after making a promising splash in the market at this point, bringing in Exon Arzu with a promising contract that will see him through the 2026 season, which also includes team options starting in 2027 all the way through 2029. Arzu brings in a promising boost on the offensive end with his attacking talent, which should help the Dynamo come up with impressive runs.

Sitting sixth overall in the Western Conference, Houston Dynamo is just three wins behind the fourth spot held by the Colorado Rapids as of the time of writing. The team has struggled to keep a winning record as their 10-7-7 tally before the second half of the season began. Adding Arzu gives them a different blend in the competition with the hopes of reigniting their offensive end.

Arzu is expected to take on the coming games for the Dynamo in the next set of games this August. One should say that Arzu is going to play a huge role on the offensive end thanks to his impressive dribbling and ability to take on a central role in the squad.

A Worthy Signing

Arzu was transferred to the team before the MLS Secondary Transfer Window closed last week. It is worth noting that the Honduran youth international is not occupying an international roster slot for the team thanks to his green card. He does, however, occupy the U22 Initiative spot as a Season-Ending Injury Replacement Player in the team.

In his time with Real Espana, Arzu scored only one goal in 23 appearances, but he did represent Honduras in the previous 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Arzu joined the MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Dynamo 2 on loan before the 2024 season began, scoring three goals in all nine appearances – which he started. The forward has been on the injury list since last May and has not played a game ever since.

"Exon is another positive example of our club providing professional opportunities for some of the most talented young players in Central and South America," general manager Pat Onstad said in a release.

Having Arzu on their squad without losing the international spot means a lot for Houston, and one can say that they will have a chance to sign another player who can fill in the gaps in the squad so far.

A Fitting Player in the Field

Arzu’s market value has been impressive so far, and that was in 2023 when he was already set at €125k. The Honduras youngster is known well for playing efficiently at the center-forward position but also shuffles to the right midfield position so far. It is expected that Arzu will have a bigger role on the offensive end for the Dynamo, where he has been praised by Onstad for his impressive fit with the team so far.

"He is an explosive and tenacious winger with the ability to change games with his pace and aggressiveness to goal,” Onstad said of Arzu’s fit with the team so far. “While he is still recovering from an injury suffered earlier this season, we wanted to utilize our Season-Ending Injury roster spot before the close of the transfer window to commit to his continued development in Houston."

Arzu has no timetable for his return just yet, but fans hope to see him back on the field as soon as possible and hopefully bring a promising burst for the team soon.

The quarterfinal of the Leagues Cup has been quite a story for the Major League Soccer as the final four teams have all been secured by American clubs heading into the final stretch of the competition. So far, this has been a promising look as Columbus, Philadelphia, LAFC, and Colorado all emerged victorious in their respective quarterfinal battles in the tournament.

This season has been nothing short of a surprise in the MLS so far. It cannot be denied that we are seeing an impressive run for many teams in the league, and the Leagues Cup success from various MLS teams are proof that they are indeed on the path of continuing a massive season for the ages, and one can say that this competition is definitely locked up for another MLS club winner for good – regardless of which club ends up at the top.

For now, MLS fans can rest easy and take pride that however the competition ends, MLS will have the bigger glory by the end of the Leagues Cup after what has been a grueling group stage and successive rounds that have seen MLS clubs emerge victorious with every single match coming up all the way to the semis.

Where’s Inter Miami?

Inter Miami, the defending champions of the Leagues Cup, started off their campaign with a bang. They secured wins in the group stages and the Round of 32, beating Toronto in a classic showdown before they faced Columbus – one of the emerging teams in the semis – in the Round of 16, only to fall short and lose the game at 3-2. It is worth noting that they did play without some of their best players, especially in Lionel Messi, who was already out before even the Leagues Cup began.

Instead, a new champion is expected to emerge at the top of the Leagues Cup. Inter Miami’s legacy is expected to be over now, and one can say that the team is just expected to make some big adjustments come next season when they are slated to have another shot at the Leagues Cup. Who knows? Maybe they can finally make the most of their chances and deliver a massive victory to reclaim their title soon.

For now, fans can be assured that the Leagues Cup will have a new champion – and it is a good thing to be proud that all choices are coming from the MLS.

Which Team is Expected to Win in the Leagues Cup?

The Leagues Cup takes a short break before the action continues in just a few days. The Columbus Crew stands as the favorites to win the competition at this point, but they will have to get past the Philadelphia Union in the semis first. Then there’s also the other side of the semis, which brings LAFC and Colorado – two highly impressive teams that are expected to make winning strides in the Leagues Cup now more than ever.

At this point, whoever wins will definitely crowned as the new dominant team of the competition, but it is also worth noting that the winner will definitely have a much bigger and stronger pace heading into the season when the MLS returns to the big stage now soon. For now, it is all about looking for a chance to seal the deal, and these four MLS clubs are coming for it.

Thanks to the Season-Ending Replacement mechanism, the New England Revolution have managed to bring in a massive addition to its squad by adding Alhassan Yusuf into their squad. New England raises its competitive squad to a different level after signing the elite player from Royal Antwerp.

At the age of 24, the Nigerian international brings a different dynamic to New England. For starters, he is set to reinforce the midfield spot for the team while also adding another set of elite scorers in their lineup. This says a lot about the desire to rebuild the squad heading into the second half of the season.

New England sits dead last in the Eastern Conference this season with a 7-14-2 record in 23 games. It has been quite a rough campaign for the team, and it cannot be denied that they really need significant improvement in the game if they are going to get a chance to get to the winning strides in the long run. Adding Yusuf is a start on that path so far.

A Midfield Boost

Yusuf played a total of 195 games in his run with Antwerp and Swedish club IFK Göteborg. The Nigerian star was sensational in helping Antwerp close out the 2022-23 Belgian Pro League title and even helped them reach the UEFA Champions League group stage. He has won a total of four trophies in his career so far and has also represented Nigeria seven times at the international stage, where he played a vital role in the Super Eagles' run to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final.

"We are pleased to add an impactful player with elite European experience to our roster in Alhassan Yusuf, whose arrival makes us even stronger in the central midfield position," sporting director Curt Onalfo said in a release. "Alhassan is a talented player with title-winning experience in the prime of his career. His competitive drive, excellent vision and passing, and tenacious tackling will all raise the level of our team."

So what does Yusuf bring to the table for the New England Revolution?

Considered one of the best young box-to-box central midfielders, the Antwerp sensation checks all the qualities of being able to compete on both ends of the pitch while also playing impressive on-ball defense. Considering the fact that he is still entering his prime years in the game, one can say that Yusuf is definitely a big boost to the squad as a whole. At this point, Yusuf is even expected to be one of the centerpieces of the squad in the long run.

More Transfers to Come

Yusuf is marked as the second international transfer made by Revolution this summer. They have already inked a deal with U22 Initiative forward Luca Langoni from the Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors. In addition, the club has also secured defenders Will Sands and Tim Parker, who were acquired through intra-league trades from Columbus Crew and St. Louis City FC, respectively.

For now, the focus at hand is for New England to come up with a better groove in their games soon. The team has already lost the Leagues Cup after falling to New York City via penalties in the Round of 32. This means that the team will now be able to shift its attention towards the season resume come August 24th, where they will face Montreal.

At the age of 19, Emi Ochoa has turned a lot of heads with his impressive defense on the goal over the course of the season with the San Jose Earthquakes. This has later seen him rewarded with a contract extension from the team that will see him playing through 2027, along with team options for the next two years.

Ochoa has been quite the talent for the club at his young age. It is rare for goalkeepers to be as talented as he is, and it is even safe to say that developing in the Earthquakes Academy has definitely paid off, and now he is on the verge of even becoming the main goalkeeper of the team for the years to come.

At this point, one can say that this is a well-deserved reward for a young stalwart like Ochoa, who has been showing off in this season for the Earthquakes. The fact that he is the youngest homegrown signing in the history of the MLS says a lot about his talent in the game – how well he has honed his craft to be able to deliver on the big stage for the club.

Next Man Up

Ochoa made his debut in the Earthquakes’ squad during the US Open Cup, where he delivered a promising clean-sheet finish against Oakland Roots. Most of his earlier games were spent with The Town FC, which is San Jose’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate in the league, playing a total of 40 matches and coming up with impressive performances for the team.

“We’re pleased to have Emi Ochoa continue his professional journey as a homegrown player with the San Jose Earthquakes,” general manager Chris Leitch said in a release. “Emi is one of the most promising young goalkeepers in North America, and he proved that again this past weekend winning the Concacaf Under-20 Championship. We are looking forward to fostering his development both on and off the field for the years to come.”

The Mexican youth international has been a standout over the years, showing how well he deserves the extension offered by the club at this point. Being with the team since November 2019, Ochoa now takes on a bigger role as he seeks to take a bigger leap in the game in the years to come.

Happiness Beyond the Game

Signing an extension with the Earthquakes has been a dream come true for Ochoa, who now gets the chance to prove his worth on the big stage as the club seeks to use him at a higher level this season. With the second half of games coming up for the Earthquakes, he is sure to get more exposure at this point.

“I’m excited to be continuing my career with the Earthquakes,” said Ochoa. “Coming up as a homegrown player in the Academy, it’s been an incredible journey so far. I feel like making my first official start earlier this year and earning a clean sheet was just the beginning. There comes a certain pride in being able to represent the club in my home region, and I’m going to keep working harder every day to reach my full potential as a pro.”

San Jose sits dead last in the Western Conference standings with a 4-19-2 record, which means they do have the room and the luxury of allowing Ochoa to see more minutes with the team heading into the next half of the campaign.

Cincinnati needed some heroic performances to cap off their shining performance in the Leagues Cup. After securing their spot in the Round of 32 in a win over Queretaro from Liga MX, Cincinnati continued to build on their pace as they pulled off a promising come-from-behind victory over New York City FC to earn a massive 4-2 win when it mattered most.

Winning goals in the second half of the game proved to be crucial in helping Cincinnati make their climb from a 0-2 deficit in the clash. Their MLS counterparts entered the game with superb confidence and nearly secured a promising victory, but Cincinnati made sure that they will not go down without a fight.

Alas, the team went on to pull off a monumental comeback. At one point, it looked like New York would be able to salvage their chances, and just a few minutes later, Cincinnati was already tied for a draw before the team would go on to cap off a solid victory that many fans did not expect to unfold considering the fact that they were way behind in the game.

A Comeback to Remember

Santiago Rodriguez drilled the goal to draw first blood for New York in the 25th minute behind an assist from Maximiliano Moralez. After a long scoring drought, New York would go on to cap off their rally with a self-goal from Jovan Mijatovic in the 61st minute to make it a 2-0 lead for the team.

After a brief struggle in the next 10 minutes, Cincinnati would gather its wits and later managed to conjure a run of their own – which would set the stage for the comeback. Pavel Bucha found his way near the net behind an assist from Gerardo Valenzuela in the 79th minute to cut the lead to 2-1. Yamil Asad would later score the equalizer thanks to a promising pass from Obinna Nwobodo in the 82nd minute.

Cincinnati stole momentum in the game at that point. Yuya Kubo would then score the goal to take the lead for Cincinnati in the 86th minute, and it was followed by a quick goal by Sergio Santos just three minutes later to cap off the run and seal the deal as New York failed to answer back in the showdown.

By the Numbers

Initially, New York City was able to come up with a promising lead in the stat sheet as they clearly dominated the game in the first part. However, it cannot be denied that the numbers shifted as soon as Cincinnati flipped the script in a snap.

Cincinnati held the ball for 49.5% of the game, just a meager number behind New York City’s 50.5%. The winning team also had 20 shots with eight of those on target. They also had three blocked shots and even made 391 of their passes with an accuracy of 84.1%. On the other side, New York attempted a total of 15 shots but was held to just nine shots on target.

They did have 447 passes, but none of those were seen well in the second half of the game as Cincinnati’s defense hardened later on. The defense was the key to the win by Cincinnati, and New York had no answer to those stifling defensive lines as they failed to hold on to their 2-0 lead and were definitely outclassed and outwitted to finish the game.

After signing with LAFC back in May, French star Olivier Giroud is now slated to enter a new phase in his career in Major League Soccer with the hopes of bringing his blazing game to the table for the Western Conference giants. It seems that the long wait has finally ended, and fans are hoping to see bigger strides from the club at this point.

LAFC is ready to come up with some impressive strides in their games, and it goes without saying that the second half of the season will be a crucial set of fixtures that will definitely affect their standing in the upcoming playoffs as well. Adding in Giroud brings a new dynamic for the team to increase their chances of winning in playing their final set of games.

As of the time of writing, LAFC sits second behind LA Galaxy in the top spot for the Western Conference, just two points behind the top seed. LAFC stands with a 14-5-5 record for 47 points, and with 10 matches left to play in the season, it is easy to expect that the team will get more chances at winning the first seed in the West.

Bonjour! Good Day!

Giroud’s arrival was expected by many fans as the team seeks to see the French star teamed up with hard hitters such as Denis Bouanga and Mateusz Bogusz in the final third. Of course, the goal is to bring LAFC back to a third straight MLS Cup appearance, and that does not seem impossible at this point in time, especially with Giroud boosting LAFC’s offensive unit.

Adding France’s all-time leading scorer with 57 goals and 137 matches played is a promising note for the team, considering that he reunites with his longtime teammate Hugo Lloris. Giroud signed a designated player deal with the team through 2025 and 2026 – which comes as an option.

Giroud last played for AC Milan and signed a new deal with LAFC after moving on from his former club.

“I am delighted and excited to join LAFC,” Giroud told the LAFC official website regarding his move to the team in the season. “I can’t wait to get to Los Angeles and to play in front of the 3252 supporters' group and all of the incredible fans.”

A Dedicated Boost for LAFC

LAFC brings in an elite scorer in Giroud, and it cannot be denied that his 14 goals in 33 games for Milan last season is a promising note that he can definitely play a support role on the attack. Considering that LA already runs with Bouanga and Bogusz on the attack, Giroud brings renewed energy to the attacking unit and can even play a third-scorer role on the squad.

The Frenchman is known to be able to play multiple offensive positions, which makes him a versatile addition to the team. His impressive goal-scoring rate is a testament to his impressive game, which makes him a deadly attacker if left unchecked.

For his whole career, Giroud has scored a total of 284 club goals, which makes him a strong yet underrated striker in the game. At this point, Giroud’s value will be more of a testing ground if he will fit well with their attacking line, and that seems to be seen as the French star is yet to make his debut with the club.

It is hard to imagine Inter Miami making the most of their impressive strides in the game all without their top star in Lionel Messi, and yet the club’s opening game in the Leagues Cup has shown that the squad definitely has what it takes to win big without the best player on the planet. That has seemed to ignite their hopes of winning in the Leagues Cup so far.

A year ago, Inter Miami opened its campaign in the Leagues Cup with a win against a LIGA MX club, but it was Messi who drilled the free-kick winner in his debut that time. This time, however, the Argentine star was in the stands watching his team wage war in his stead, showing how deep the roster is for Inter Miami at this point.

Inter Miami is set to play against the Tigres UANL in the next game for the Leagues Cup this August 4th, and there are a lot of hopes for the team’s chances of winning as they seek to deliver a promising run when they face their opponents at the NRG Stadium next week.

A Confident Version of Inter Miami

There’s no denying that Inter Miami has seen a spark of confidence, and their games have been really quite off the charts, claiming one win after another. Inter Miami had a total of 16 shot attempts in the win, with nine of those on target. They held the ball for 59% of the game and made 532 passes for a promising 86% accuracy, and if you are not impressed with their superb performance, Miami just held Puebla to two shots on target for the whole game.

Matias Rojas drew first blood for Miami in the game by the ninth minute. Miami would go on to keep the lead with some superb defense as they prevented Puebla from scoring a goal to tie the game. Luis Suarez would go on to put the exclamation point on the game with another goal in the 72nd minute to close the game for good.

"We are a team that goes out to the pitch and establishes things during the first minutes of the game, that's important to start winning," Suárez after the match. "Puebla found themselves in a difficult situation, being down on the scoreboard. And we could finish it during the second half."

Winning Without Messi

It is definitely not an easy look to have your best player sitting out a crucial tournament. Lionel Messi is expected to be out for the entirety of the Leagues Cup, which means that the team will have to rely on the rest of its players, like Suarez, to lead the way towards the top. So far, it does seem that all is well for Inter at this point.

"Inter have already won this, they have the experience," Suárez said. "This is a matter of fighting until the end. Some like this, some may not, but we need to get used to it. Our obligation is to work."

Inter Miami has entered the Leagues Cup with a promising balance in their games. The team also leads the MLS in the Supporters' Shield race, with a five-point lead over FC Cincinnati. Their impressive depth has been quite the story of this season, and it cannot be denied that the team has managed to figure out so many things that could have been the cause of their downfall late in the season.